CAMPAIGNLGBTQAca: lgbtqa Affordable care act enrollment

LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT of HAPPINESS

Equality in love also means equality of life. Even when some states legalized same-sex marriage, there were issues in healthcare equity: visitation rights, which conditions were covered, who could be denied a plan, etc. It was only when the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, its major provisions were fully implemented in 2014, and, for Pennsylvania residents, the Medicaid expansion in 2015 that the gap in medical treatment between straight/cisgender and minority-sexuality/gender identity individuals was significantly shortened. While there still exists many issues, such as PrEP and PEP coverage as an essential health benefit and the targeting of transgender children in the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a chronic problem is insuring the LGBTQA population.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, LGBTQA Americans generally require more healthcare during their lifetime yet face greater barriers, experience worse health outcomes, and are less insured than their straight/cisgender counterparts. We can help end some of these problems by enrolling as many people who qualify for assistance as we can.

SILENCE=DEATH

For one month, 15 November to 15 December 2017, out of the Affordable Care Act enrollment period (which begins 1 November), we are determined to help insure LGBTQA youth and adults through CHIP, Medicaid, and the marketplace. We coordinated with a State College shelter for people experiencing homelessness as well as a shelter specifically for youth experiencing homelessness, of which the LGBTQA community is over-represented. We trained some in our Board of Directors as non-certified navigators using the Marketplace Learning Management System curriculum to insure capable and credentialed assistance.

Designed by Front & Centre.

As well, to reach everybody in Centre County, we designed our own Facebook and Instagram advertisement which ran from 17 November to 15 December. This ad reached roughly one thousand Pennsylvanian residents, reminding them to enroll in healthcare.